Get more employee referrals with a better hiring experience

Did you know
that 3 out of 4 job seekers consider looking for a job one of life’s
most stressful events?
That’s 75% saying that the job search ranks up there with occurrences like the
death of a loved one and separation or divorce, as well as relocating. It’s
been noted that individuals have more anxiety about job hunting than an
upcoming root
canal.

This begs
the question: If you already have a job, why leave? Why welcome that kind of
pressure when you don’t have to?

The right
hires are out there. But unless we make the hiring process smooth and engaging,
minimizing stressors as much as possible, how will we consistently attract good
people? Before you can retain skill and talent, you have to hire it. Before you
can hire it, you have to attract it. How do you attract the best, relevant
candidates?

You create a better hiring experience.

What
Makes a “Better” Hiring Experience?

First of
all, focus on the word experience. That’s right. Not a headache, a pain
in the neck, or a chore. Not a nightmare. But an experience—synonymous
with ideas of memorable journeys and even exciting adventures.

It has to be
this way. You already have the “stressful life event” factor stacked against
you. Not to mention any mixed feedback or bad reviews about your business. Did
you know that 50% of candidates say they wouldn’t work for a company with a bad
reputation—even for a pay increase? (Betterteam, 2017)

These are kinds of barriers you face when it comes to attracting the best employees. So, you have to give the right people a reason to take the first step.

Put
Yourself in Their Shoes

Imagine
again what it was like when you were considering switching jobs.

You find a
great opportunity and want to apply. After you finally complete an application
and garner the courage to click “submit,” you anticipate the deafening silence.
There’s no response for days.

And the
anxieties are like waves rolling in. You start asking questions. Lots of
questions.

Did the
company receive your materials?

Why haven’t
you heard back?

Have you
wasted your time applying?

You
eventually get word they want to talk. Maybe you should be thrilled, but you
have no idea what’s around the bend. You’re drowning in questions again.

What’s this
process going to look like?

You’ve got a
life outside of work, and things are crazy right now. Is this even worth the
effort?

How long
will it take?

Is it really
a good idea to add this stress to your plate?

People are
used to a flood of unknowns during a job search. They understand the hunt to be
anything but an experience. Honestly, they’d rather have a root canal
than endure the wait and overwhelming uncertainty. It’s our responsibility as
employers to be sensitive to that. And it’s in our best interest to change it.

De-Stressing
Your Hiring Process

If people
are this stressed about applying for new jobs, what’s to be done? How
can you mitigate such anxiety when it all seems out of your control?

This
experience must be designed so that it’s thoughtful, consistent, and effective.
All around you, there are systems in your company designed for optimal
production, health and safety, customer satisfaction, and the list goes on and
on.

But the
right hires are at the core of all these systems. They are the lifeblood of
your company. And you must understand that recruiting good people requires its
own fine-tuned, well-oiled system.

Let’s have a
look at where to start.

The
Employee-First Approach

If you long
to hire and retain the best employees, you’ve got to do the work upfront. At
Core Matters, we believe in keeping employees engaged. And that engagement
begins immediately. Right after they click “submit.” In fact, the way we see
it, these job seekers must be engaged before they’re even your employees.

You may be
thinking, “Easier said than done.” And you’re right. It may not be easy to
create this new and improved hiring experience. After all, you have to ask
yourself…

What
will this look like for our particular company?

Do
we have a hiring process in place?

If
so, what needs to be different?

Where
do we begin?

Begin designing your improved hiring process by exploring the defining moments a job seeker has when applying with your company.

Defining
moments are those moments that make an impact. They set the stage for
everything else to come. In a typical recruiting process, there are five of
them. But before we get into that, let’s look at how we need to communicate
throughout this process.

Communication
Counts

And not just
communication when you get a chance. Not a vague “we’ll be in touch.” It’s
important to extend prompt, clear, and helpful communication.

Over half of
job seekers never hear back. Imagine being excited about a new opportunity,
patiently waiting for a response and… nothing. Weeks pass. It’s the deafening
silence. Again. What a waste of time and energy, you think.

In fact,
it’s one of the primary reasons job seekers don’t take the time to accurately
complete an application. There’s less than a 2% chance they’ll get an interview
and less than a 30% chance they’ll ever hear back.

We’ve done
this to ourselves, and now we’re paying the price because job seekers appear to
no longer care.

It’s why job
searching gets a bad rap. The sentiment is that you’ve pitched your application
into oblivion. Did anyone read it? Has anyone been hired?

What if
things were different?

What if you
treated applications like customer leads?

If an
applicant receives a response in 15 minutes, how does that make them feel? They
feel respected. They’re interested in learning more. They’re engaged. And employee engagement begins during the hiring
process.

The
5 Defining Moments

As you’re
designing a better hiring experience, think about the defining moments a job
seeker experiences. Let these serve as guides for your hiring system. Once
again, step into their shoes. Anticipate their frustrations, questions, and
worries. Extinguish the flames of uncertainty before they become full-blown,
stressful fires.

If you
structure your hiring around these defining moments, you’ll notice a
difference. You’ll attract the right people because the right people will want
to be a part of this experience.

1.
Clicking “Submit”

This is the
very first defining moment for a job seeker. They’ve filled out your
application, attached their cover letter and resume, and clicked “submit.” It’s
likely they have mixed emotions. They’re relieved, excited, curious, but also
anxious. It’s natural. You want to be certain all of this doesn’t morph into
stress, though.

So, send a
quick follow-up. Map out the process for them. Be clear. If you’re reviewing
resumes in the first 24 hours, let them know. Inform them of the next steps
like phone interviews, face-to-face interviews, skills assessments, and more.
When you’re open about these things, job seekers feel included and engaged from
the start. You’re setting yourself up for an outstanding employee-first
experience.

2.
The First Interview

The same
individuals who rank the job search next to death and divorce also dread
interviews. Think back to your own first interviews with companies. Remember
those nerves and unknowns? What if the culture surrounding these interviews
began to change? If you want to see the best candidates in their best light,
set them up to shine.

Maybe this
arrives in the form of a welcome package. Perhaps you reach out via a letter,
video, or download. The point is, let them know you’re happy about meeting with
them. Present expectations, and give them some peace of mind. It’s important to
maintain momentum in all of these phases.

3.
An Invitation to the Top 3

Announce
your top 3, and celebrate these people. It depends on the particular open position
in your company, but you might take them to lunch individually or as a group.
You might host a small gathering and observe interactions.

What a
defining moment, though! When you’re in the top tier of all who applied!
Recognize these potential hires in a special way.

4.
The Offer

The day has
come. You make your “hopeful” an offer. There’s a lot going on. Essentially,
you’re committing to this person’s career path and personal growth, along with
their family, hopes, and dreams. It sounds like a huge deal, right? It is.

You’ve begun
some serious onboarding the minute you extend the offer. The moves you make
from here onward matter. Don’t back off. Now is the time to engage them even
more.

5.
The Wait

This is the
period of 2-4 weeks between your new hire’s offer acceptance and start date.
Since you’ve focused on hiring people who are already employed, you must
anticipate this wait. So often, employers make offers, and then they go quiet.

Uh oh, cue the
stress again. Exactly what we want to avoid.

You’re not
the only one waiting here. Your new hire is waiting, too. And if you’ve gone
silent, they may begin to stress about their new position. You’ve got to engage
them. Keep them in the loop. Let them know that you’re excited to have them.
Inform them of opportunities ahead. If you do this right, the transition will
be easier for them. Best of all, they’ll be thrilled and prepared to make that
transition.

Better
Hiring Experiences Are Engaging Ones

There’s the
basic outline. And this can apply to any open position. Perhaps it’s
surprising, but you can automate a lot of this. Automation is key because when
you automate what’s important, what’s important gets done.

Creating
this type of hiring experience will pay dividends. Often employees are leaving
behind friends at their old employer. Those friends are waiting to see how it
works out for your new hire. By crafting a remarkable hiring process, you may
be able to attract other great employees shortly after your new hire starts.

You want applicants
sharing this positive hiring experience with others. Suddenly, you have raving
fans out there, talking on your behalf. Spreading the word. And your
competitors’ employees, who weren’t even looking for new jobs, are interested.
They’re the people you’ve been trying to find all along, and now, they’re
coming to you.

Why? You’ve
created a stress-free, engaging hiring experience.

Attract
the Right People

And do it the right way. When you design an employee-first hiring experience, you remove the difficulty of looking for a job. You tear down a barrier, and shift the mindset from worry and fear to inclusion and possibility. You communicate that you value your employees, and solidify your brand. And, after all this, the right people pour in.

Make this hiring process a priority in your company right now. Reach out today, and let’s begin creating an employee-first experience that’s both attractive and engaging.

Ryan Englin

If you're struggling to find enough of the right people for your business, we can help. As your recruitment marketing partner, we're here to create a system that connects the right employees with your company. We help you think differently today to create new opportunities for tomorrow.